The Easter Bunny has been hard at work, hopping around Beijing and dropping off deals and goodies at all of your local favorites. From brunch to afternoon tea, and chocolate to burgers, there’s enough here to ensure that your entire weekend is stuffed like an Easter egg.

Comptoirs de France special COVID-19 chocolate Easter Bunnies

Dine-in and Events

Frasca at The Opposite House

Take full advantage of an Easter set menu by Frasca at The Opposite House, including a selection of cold cuts as starter with traditional sweet Italian Easter bread, an Easter consommé soup filled with nutmeg Parmigiano and chicken bites, a homemade Swiss chard ravioli in butter sauce, a choice of roasted baby lamb Sardinian style or Patagonian tooth fish fillet marinated in Saba grape must wine as the main course. End the meal with a delicious Napolitano style ricotta candied fruit cake and not to miss the Easter chocolate egg! All ages. RMB 298/person. Additional RMB 188 per person for Free-flow Italian bubbles. 12pm-2pm & 6pm-9pm Apr 12-13. No. 11 Sanlitun Road. 6410-5210. frasca@theoppositehouse.com

Kempinski Hotel Beijing Lufthansa Center

All-You-Can-Eat Brunch at Signature’s Restaurant

Enjoy an All-You-Can-Eat Brunch on Easter Sunday at Kempinski Beijing’s Signature’s Restaurant including a la carte dishes, appetizers and salads, main courses, festive desserts, and even an egg hunt. RMB 288 gets you the whole spread with free-flow soft drinks or RMB 388 for free-flow beer and wine. All ages. RMB 288-388. Apr 12. 11.30am-3.30pm. Kempinski Hotel Beijing Lufthansa Center. 50 Liangmaqiao Rd. Chaoyang District.

Burger Box

Take a break from all the chocolate and sweets with Burger Box’s buy-one-get-one-free deal on their mouthwatering Stupid Egg Burger this Saturday and Sunday. Available for dine-in only. RMB 48. 10.30am-5.30pm. 1/F, Nali Patio, 81 Sanlitun Beijie, Chaoyang District.

InterContinental Beijing Sanlitun

Indulge in a special Easter Brunch all weekend at InterContinental’s Char Bar & Grill or Top Tapas. A 3-course meal runs RMB 258/person, or add another course for RMB 288/person. RMB 68 gets you free-flow soft drinks, coffee, and tea, whereas RMB 108 gets all of the above as well as bubbles. To reserve a spot, scan the QR code on the poster below. All ages. Prices vary. Apr 11-13. 11.30am-3pm. 3/F No. 1 South Sanlitun Road, Chaoyang District.

The Peninsula Hotel

Bask in the glow of Easter with an afternoon tea set at The Peninsula Hotel, and dine on delicate treats such as white chocolate mango pudding, tradition and raisin scones, and crab and avocado salad in a sesame basket. To book your spot, scan the WeChat Mini Program below. All ages. RMB 248- RMB 598. Apr 10-12. No. 8 Jinyu Hutong. 

Xian at East Hotel

Xian is cooking up a special Easter set lunch menu this weekend that includes a main course, garden salad, and festive dessert. What’s more, diners also get to enjoy free-flow soft drinks, Xian Lager, Tsingtao beer, and house wine at no extra charge. All ages. RMB 198. Apr 11-12. 11am-3pm. For reservations call +8610 8414 9810. Walk-ins are also welcome. No. 22 Jiuxianqiao Rd, Chaoyang District.

Sweets and Treats

Comptoirs de France

Whether it’s dark, milk, or white chocolate you’re after, Comptoirs de France has you covered! Browse their extensive catalog of handmade goodies by scanning the QR code on the poster below, and then swing by one of their many locations across Beijing to pick up your favorite. They’ve got hens, bunnies, eggs, and more to satisfy those Springy cravings. Prices and locations vary.

Kempinski Hotel Beijing Lufthansa Center

Gourmet Easter Chocolates at Kempi Deli

Various delicious sweets in the shape of your favorite Easter icons are available at Kempi Deli. Delectable gourmet chocolate eggs are sure to be a hit with the whole family. Prices vary. Daily 8am – 8pm. Kempinski Hotel Beijing Lufthansa Center. 50 Liangmaqiao Rd. Chaoyang District.

Jiangmaitang (JMT)

JMT has three Easter chocolate boxes which include various confections such as rainbow ganache and praline eggs, hens, rabbits, and dinosaur eggs for the kids. RMB 45 – RMB 226. 9am-4pm. 6 Chaowai Street, Central Park, Tower 20, #102, Yong’anli.

The Bake Shop

On the lighter and more savory side, The Bake Shop will be baking up some steamy hot cross buns. To place an order, scan the WeChat or Mini Program below. Prices vary. 10am-5pm. 63 Baochao Hutong, Dongcheng District. (located inside The Orchid Hotel).

Delivery

Sherpa’s

In addition to the various deals being offered by Sherpa’s partner restaurants (see flyer below), the favored expat delivery service will also be giving away a little token of Easter appreciation in the form of an Easter egg bottle opener.

Photos: Pixabay, Courtesy of the organizers

As a new mother I’m already thinking about how I would like to celebrate my baby’s first birthday. The celebrations of our kids’ yearly milestones are those precious moments where lifelong memories can be built, and they almost always start with CAKE!

The number one question is who can we entrust with the hugely important job of preparing and executing an epic birthday cake for our precious little (and not so little) bundles of joy? Who can bring your kid’s favorite characters to life, provide a cake that encompasses all the flavors that your kid’s heart desires, and of course brings your kid’s vision to life in such a way that impressive gasps of “Oh wow! What a cake!” will fill the birthday room.

You will no doubt see the reflection of the epicness of a truly masterfully-produced birthday cake in the eyes of your kids, and lots of salivation in anticipation of tucking in. So get stuck in and go for one of these master bakers!

Enjoy! Cakes

Beijinger and cake chef Kim Xue (Viki Jin), has been honing her pastry skills since 2008 when she was part of a team servicing the Olympics with the Beijing Ruiji Hotel Bakery. In 2017 Xue decided to create her own private dessert company, and Enjoy! Cakes was born.

Xue specializes in not just kids’ birthday cakes, but other custom made cakes, dessert tables for kids and adults, and dessert catering for weddings and company events. You can peruse her impressive catalog of cupcakes, puffs, cookies, and more, or give her specifics to work with. Celebrate your kid’s birthday in wondrous style! RMB 100 – 1,000+ (prices may vary depending on custom requirements) WeChat: Viki-Jin

Snowy Baker

Tan Shuang named her beautiful cake studio after her daughter Snow, and prides herself on providing healthy alternatives for her kid and others on their birthdays and important celebratory occasions. Snowy Baker has been operating in Beijing for two years, and caters for individuals and groups who either want to go with classic sweet offerings or who need to choose xylitol (a natural plant-based sugar substitute) versions for health reasons.

Self-styled “treasure mom” Shuang belongs to a group of moms who prefer to abstain from very sweet treats for themselves and their kids, and instead aims to reduce the oil and sugar in her creations for the more health conscious of us, crafting delights that have been made using natural ingredients. Whatever your requirements Shuang can meet them. Go birthday cake classic with sugary options (I mean, it’s only one day out the year!), or go Zen with ‘my body is a temple’ alternatives. It’s up to you!

Shuang will go through all your options and cake requirements; size, cartoon characters, animals, colors and flavors, to create a custom piece you and your kids will never forget. RMB 228 – 298 (1.5 pound cake), RMB 328 – 398 (2 pound cake), RMB 428 – 498 (3 pound cake) (prices may vary depending on custom requirements). WeChat: tanshuang1290

Sweet Laboratory

An exceptionally creative baking designer and enthusiast, mom of three Hwa Wu has a lot of tricks up her sleeve, from seasonal snow globes with edible sugar crystals to superhero delights and whimsical cupcakes, you will be truly spoiled for choice when sitting down with this master baker while she conjures up another epic birthday cake.

When Wu has time away from making kids’ birthday cakes, she juggles looking after her own children with a busy schedule catering for corporate events and anniversaries. Wu prides herself on paying extra attention to all her creations because they celebrate a special moment in someone’s life, whether it’s a birthday, anniversary, holiday, or just to say thank you. She uses quality ingredients and has been making families happy in Beijing for five years.

Wu has been keeping busy this Christmas. Not only has she been creating beautiful birthday cakes to the glee of many kids, she has been designing wonderfully sweet Christmas treats for the young and young-at-heart to keep our festive flames alight, including chocolate Christmas tree cupcakes with strawberry centers, gingerbread houses with all the trimmings, and cupcake wreaths! Take note and take inspiration from these, and others in her catalog, if thinking about using her service for your kid’s next (or first) epic birthday cake. RMB 600-1,500+ (prices may vary depending on custom requirements). WeChat: hwawu001

Happiness is Homemade

Humble but skilled home baker Marina has been baking up a storm for a few years now in Beijing, offering families affordable and creative homemade kids’ birthday cakes and cupcakes.

Marina uses her self-taught hobby to make unique creations for unique occasions, and serves families who want to add a little something special not only for birthdays, but anniversaries, seasonal parties, and more. Marina can whip up cakes, traditional European-style spiced tarts, special sweet and savory breads, and cupcakes. You want every flavor under the sun, I hear? Look no further, Marina makes beautifully sweet and colorful creations covered in icing or piped with cream toppings, dusted with icing sugar or glazed and drizzled with sweet scrumptious frosting.

Chocolate, red velvet, lemon drizzle cake, banana, carrot, tiramisu, marble zebra cake, and more! Parents, you have options and lots of them. Team up your kid’s favorite flavors and sticky yumminess to unveil what will be – yes, you guessed it – an epic birthday cake! RMB 180 – 680 (prices may vary depending on custom requirements). WeChat: wxid_20iboqaole9x12

Photos: Courtesy of Bakers

Although Tizzy is a bit of showoff, it’s tough to fault this newly unveiled robotic arm for flexing. This charismatic space shuttle-esque robotic arm automatron will shake up your order of iced tea with more than a little flair, making him the key attraction at Cosmo Mixology, a newly opened sweet tea vendor at Sanlitun’s Nali Patio.

Patrons need only sidle up to the street-side booth, which has a deep pinkish hue and is also decorated with rows of dials and switches that look like they’ve been lifted from a ’60s sci-fi flick. Aside from the robotic arm, there is also a living breathing attendant tending a window to the left side of Tizzy, which is good news for anyone worried about the ruthlessness of the robot revolution (and a potential letdown for any antisocial customers yearning for the rise of the machines).

Providing the server your order, they’ll disappear into a room out of sight behind the booth. Then the fun starts: Tizzy springs to life, shaking your order of tea to and fro, before making more sustained shakes of the canister at his end joint (what would be his hand and wrist, I guess) until the whole mess becomes a blur. Tizzy’s top then lifts, out comes the mixture into a cup, and voila! Your tea is ready.

Is it a gimmick? Of course. But as far as gimmicks go, this one’s fun and memorable. What really puts Cosmo Mixology over, however, is the tea itself, which isn’t half bad. Their pomegranate signature tea (RMB 28 for both a hot or iced cup; I chose the latter) is actually among some of the best I’ve had at any of the countless sweet tea vendors that have popped up around Beijing in recent years. The fruit-flavored drinks, billed as “authentic Taiwan-style,” have a soft tartness and equally subtle aftertaste and can be souped up with a “yummy cream topping,” which we can only assume is in adherence to the overbearing cheese tea trend that has had Beijing’s beverage scene in a chokehold all year.

Still, the variety of teas on offer, along with the convenient location, make Cosmo a solid spot for anyone in need of a refreshment. Tizzy’s gyrating joints are certainly the initial attraction, but as it turns that it’s the tea that will keep you coming back.

Cosmo Mixology 
Daily 11am-11pm. Nali Patio (south side), 81 South Sanlitun Road, Chaoyang District
朝阳区南三里屯路81号那里花园1楼南侧

Photos: Kyle Mullin, courtesy of Cosmo Mixology

We can’t hide our feelings towards Booth’s. Nope, not the high-end supermarket British variety, the cousin of Whole Foods in America, but the lovely Japanese cake shop, which first opened in 2014 nearby Liangma River and then followed up with a second branch in Wangjing.

The third branch of Booth’s Cake now settles in Sanlitun, in the inconspicuous alley of Xingfuyicun, next to Red Rose Xinjiang Restaurant. We have to confess, it’s been open for a while now but we still wanted to drop by and update you on what’s new at this three-year-old – and growing – chain.

Unlike their cozy and wood-laden Liangma River location, Booth’s Sanlitun branch takes a more modern aesthetic, largely using a gray and bronze palette. The pastries sit neatly in glass counters on top of black velvet, as if they were jewelry. If the appearance is more upscale, so are the offerings, which now include lava cake, pies, brownies, and tarts, which are all particularly fresh given that their central bakery is located nearby, we are told. There are also roll cakes (RMB 28-35 for a piece or RMB 60-130 for a roll), that come in original, chocolate, matcha, and red velvet varieties.

Napoleon matcha cake (RMB 36)

The new Napoleon matcha cake (RMB 36) is the real deal; the ultra-flaky and crispy layers are covered in maple syrup and house moist chocolate frosting and sliced banana in between. The roll cake (RMB 28) featured a fluffy chiffon-cake center brushed in slightly sweet whipped cream; we only wish that the cream was heavier. However, we respect the Japanese-style desserts here for not being too sweet. If you need a cup of coffee, they have plenty of options for caffeination too.

The modern interior at Sanlitun branch

The second floor is particularly airy and spacious, with a long table for 20 people, and several smaller tables, which makes it a popular spot for idle and wealthy youth to spend some time nibbling delicious cakes while taking a zillion selfies. During our visit, the fire alarm rang on noisily in the background. We looked around nervously, but the only movement at this half-full bakery was forking and chewing. I guess that goes to show how good the pastries at Booth’s Cake are.

Booth’s Cake
Mon, Tue-Sun 10am-9pm. Jia 6, Xingfuyicun Xili, Xinduyicun Qixiang, Chaoyang District (6462 1022)
布司蛋糕：朝阳区幸福一村七巷幸福一村西里甲六号

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Email: tracywang@thebeijinger.com
Twitter: @flyingfigure
Instagram: @flyingfigure

Photos: Tracy Wang, Dianping

As a long-time expat here, there are a few landmarks that immediately trigger the comfort sigh. One of those is The South German Bakery on Lucky Street. It’s a stalwart feature of that strip and the best place in Beijing for real cheesecake.

Lucky Street is the short strip of shops on the west side of the road off of Liangmaqiao Road before arriving at Solana (on the east side). Within that strip, among other establishments, are several Japanese restaurants, a Korean BBQ, a health food store, a long-standing American bar and, of course, The South German Bakery, also known as Cafe Konstanz and Bodenseestube.

I have known about this place for a long time. I visit about twice a year to ogle over the baked goods but to invariably emerge with nothing more than a slice of their delectable, real, baked cheesecake—a very rare find in the city.

They also have great breads and ready-made sandwiches available, as well as a full restaurant menu and extensive seating upstairs. They are well-known for their weekend brunches, I’m told.

Before leaving, I had a look at the strudel. I’m not German by decent, but this looks like authentic strudel to me. I didn’t buy any, though. Not this time. Maybe in the spring I’ll be more adventurous and emerge with more than just cheesecake! Until then, I am heading home for some comfort food.

Photos: Courtesy of Ember Swift